This weekend was weird. Brett comes home and I gear myself up all day Friday. Yeah! A weekend! Brett's coming. The only thing is, when he gets here, there is so much to do. 10 times more than a normal weekend. He is still trying to finish up paperwork for the company he sold...we are looking at moving companies, bidding home project jobs, he is doing dry cleaning, repacking, we have lists of stuff to do on this house to sell it that we haven't done yet. This weekend, he worked hard replacing lights, (or was that last weekend?) and painting. Pretty exhausting. Before we know it, it's Sunday. All Sunday, I am so bummed it's Sunday and that the weekend is over. Then he's gone.

I have to get better at not expecting too much, or as he says, writing a script, of how I think the weekend will be--all fields of hollyhocks and butterflies, etc.

Good things that happened...Brett walked Rudy and Kate twice. Our bathroom is finally finished with new paint, mirror and lights, we went on a date with Misty and Mike for Japanese food, we got our mac fixed, went to the temple together, he had all Sunday at home (no more bishopric meetings all day) and finally, got to hang out at the Fowers and eat after Nick's farewell. I got two backscratches as well. Hey, that's a lot of stuff. What am I talking about?

I am leaving in the morning for California. 4 days with just Brett and Kate and Sir Paul McCartney tomorrow night. I am so excited to go to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl and for my first concert there to be Sir Paul. Then, I will visit the high school, go to the MOMA and go to the beach. My kids join me on Friday for Spring Break week. A little nervous that they are flying by themselves, but it should be ok.

OK. This is so boring. Boring boring boring. I'm going to have to hurt jb for her post and how much I love her for writing that and how sad it makes me all at the same time. I'll try to post in Cali, but I can't upload pictures and if we have a Star Sightings segment, I'll have to wait until the photos can be posted.

Until next time. - e

I came into the kitchen this morning, and this youtube video was on the screen. I don't know if Ali saw this from someone else's blog or what but I laughed so hard when I saw it. As a dancer, I love it! It looks so real, but can't be...??

I feel better! Brett comes home tonight! I get to eat lunch with my sisters and my mom for Misty's 38th Birthday. At Nordy's. Yeah! Happy Birthday Misty! If I get more time today, I'll try and do a post for you...

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=G9YnHpo-mz8

WHAT???!!!

Why didn't anyone TELL me that "Love Story" ends with Ali McGraw dying and Ryan O'Neil never reconciling with his father??!!! What kind of movie is THAT???!! She was only 25 for pete's sake!!

Why didn't the girl at TopHat Video tell me that- when I asked if it was a "classic" like everyone said?? Why didn't she say- oh you're sick? and your husband is out of town? You might not want to watch this movie. Trisha... (the girl's name)..why???

And why did the doctor not tell Ali McGraw that she was going to die? He told Ryan O'Neil, leaving it up to him to break the news to his Harvard-educated wife. hm. Why was it shot in Boston and New York making me want to go to Boston and New York? Why did they have hot chocolate in Central Park next to the skating rink making me want to have hot chocolate right now? Why did I rent this really old and corny and then abrupt ending dang movie?

I watched it with Spencer and we both just looked at each other like--what?!!?? That's the end?! If they play that theme song one more time.....As soon as we found out she was dying, Spencer got up and said, "I'm outta here." "Oh no!" I said. "You have to face your feelings Spence!! Feel the sadness!" I forced him to sit right back down and watch Ryan O'Neil desperately try to face his bleak future.

I don't think he absorbed the sadness, because he kept making jokes with me until the end when we looked at each other, like I said, and went huh??? She was way cute though and he was too. The only part of that movie that was worth it for me was seeing Ryan O'Neil's roommates at Harvard and realizing that one of them was Tommy Lee Jones. He had lots of dark hair. Tommy Lee Jones is pretty cool I think, ever since seeing Fugitive.

So the only redeeming thing about my sick day was finishing a documentary on Bob Dylan done by Martin Scorsese. It was very interesting-not just about him, but about the 60s music scene in general. Tomorrow, I'll feel totally better I'm sure, and the movies will go away. I will roll up my sleeves and finish painting my bathroom, clean for whomever wants to see our lovely home, go to lunch with the college-aged girls I visit teach, teach piano, and make this good barley/chicken brothy stuff I really like. Two days until Misty's birthday.....two days until Brett comes home....six days until Paul McCartney.

Truman, good luck on your mission to England!! You will be a great missionary. People will love your fun personality if they let you in to teach them. :) jk Melinda, I'm sure some people will let him in! Good night. I can't wait to not be sick tomorrow. It will feel great to not be stuffed up anymore.

I think I'll just go plunk out that Love Story theme song on the piano. jk jk

A Fun Post About People In My Life

I have decided that before I leave this beautiful place, when occasion dictates, I will do posts on the people in my life. A few days ago, my friend Laurie emailed me and told me to listen to "Blankets in the Grass" by Balance Problems. I had never heard of it. She knew I would like the banjo and the piano in it. She also told me about the group Nickel Creek a while ago that I love, because I have a soft spot for bluegrass. Check them out on itunes. I really like when she does this. She will now get a post....

Laurie and I probably met 22 years ago at Girls State in Southern Utah (our junior year of high school). It was a leadership conference for girls and we were both our school's representative. That's what she says anyway. She remembers everything. Me, not so much. 15 years later, our paths crossed again in Bountiful. Every one of my kids has been or is currently good friends with her kids. Joe and Spencer were best friends in junior high and I still want to hug Joe every time I see him. He's a good one. Maddie and Annie, the 2nd children, girls after the firstborn sons, are pretty much the same person. Both the 2nd mothers, responsible, soft spoken, smart and solid girls. They are a year apart, so they didn't have the chance to be close friends. Ali and Mary are the 3rd child, 2nd daughters and the dramatic ones. They have their ups and downs together, but only because they are both so full of life and it's hard to coordinate and sync their up and down schedules so they're up at the same time :) Sydney and Emma have never been in a class together, or even gone to the same school much of the time, but have somehow seemed to stay connected and have fun together.

I remember when I first started getting to know Laurie, thinking how alike our life styles were. Not our lifestyles, but our life styles. We are very similar. We parent very much the same way, we are both socially involved in a lot of stuff, and loners at the same time. She'll laugh when she reads that, because she'll know how true that is. We are both the same age, short, love dance and theatre, both worked with the young women at church at the same time, both love music, both have homes that can be crazy and a tad chaotic, but only because we love a lot of people and like action. We both have husbands who are doers--going going going. We even have scarily similar decorating styles and likes. We both love being very involved in our kids' lives and try at the same time to separate ourselves from their choices without going crazy.

The only place we differ a bit is that Laurie is super effortlessly beautiful. She honestly is one of the most naturally pretty people I know. I'll insert a picture here so you can agree with me.

I know, right?

Laurie is married to Nate. Nate is one of my favorite men I know. He is this gentle giant and by giant I mean 5'7" giant. He is calm, compassionate, meek and yet is a total leader. This year, their son Joe is Student Body President at the high school (another gentle giant). Nate, quietly goes to EVERY SINGLE ACTIVITY at that school and I mean every one. He takes his camera and not only takes pictures of every kid that goes to that school, but then he goes home and tags them all on facebook so they can have great pictures of themselves at these events. No one asked him to do this. The other cool thing about quiet Nate is that he is a music library. He literally has more songs on his laptop than anyone I know. He has everything. He loves 80s music and loves making CDs for people. We have been the beneficiaries of a Halloween Mix, 2 Christmas mixes, roadtrip mixes and finally a mix for baby Kate. He DJs at many a youth dance as well. I love that he can be as spiritual and serious minded as he is, and then know every cool song.

Nate works for the church humanitarian department. I assume that he pretty much runs the place. He goes to Haiti, Africa, goes to where the tsunamis are, the droughts are, the earthquakes are. He will be the one leading the people through the streets calming them and giving them supplies when the big earthquake hits Salt Lake. How lucky was his ward when he was bishop?!

I love Laurie and Nate. They are what I call REAL people. No pretenses, although they totally could be way proud at how awesome they are and the heritage they come from. They would give you the shirt off their backs if you needed it. I haven't needed that, but I have needed their GPS system in California once, some hospital pajamas, apricots off their tree, water purification cups, and many other things! I love their kids. Really, every one of them, even the two who don't match up with my kids, Miss Lucy ballerina and little Jeffrey naked boy.

So there they are. My friends the Leishmans. Who is next???

Maddie's Blog Post

I just found that Maddie started blogging and this was what she wrote while I was gone this morning at a wedding shower. She accidentally left it up on the screen so I got to see it. It is so sweet and makes me happy, knowing she wrote this not thinking I would read it--it's just how she really feels. Here it is.

Well I'm in love with my little sister, it's official. She's perfect!! Seriously I just can't get enough of her. Today was one of the days when I've been babysitting her. It's been just me and baby from 9:30 to currently 12 but it's still going. Although sometimes she's a little whiny or won't sit still I still love it. I just put her down about 15 minutes ago and I already want her to wake up so I can squeeze her and kiss her. Kate's a little spoiled not gonna lie, there's rarely a moment when either Mom, Dad, kids, Lala, friends or aunts aren't holding her. Well all I gotta say is I love her and I can't believe our family went 8 years without her! My absolute favorite, when she falls asleep in my arms.

Oh and one more thing...

Another star sighting in my new segment:

HO HUM!!! STAR SIGHTINGS--BORRRRING!!

Maddie at LAX with Roy from The Office. He was eating pizza next to us. I got the camera and kept starting my sentence to ask him for a pic. "uh...hum...are you...hey..." Maddie looked at me with disgust and said, "Are you Roy from The Office? Can I get a picture with you?" She kills me sometimes. I wanted to tell him that I so wish Pam would have ended up with him instead of boring old Jim. Guys like Jim are probably so dime a dozen what with that sense of humor, dimpled smirks to the camera and devotion to her and all :) How boring to have Jim adoring you all of the time. Roy would have kept things hoppin. Does he love me or not? How many ways can I serve him with no reciprocation?.....but I couldn't really choke anything out.

Later that week, Maddie looked over her shoulder as she was watching those street performers I was telling you about on 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica and Jan from The Office was standing there with her tall husband and three little kids. Maddie took a picture, but her flash didn't work, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

So, yeah, pretty boring and ho hum like I said.

Syd and the Sneaky Leprechauns

Thankfully, St. Paddy's Day has come and gone and a little sneaky leprechaun DID show up. It was pretty close though.

Syd told me the night before at 9p.m. that she was going to make another trap. Oh no, I thought. At 9 p.m.? I tried and tried to talk her out of it. "Syd, there is no way you'll catch one! I don't think anyone ever has!" All to no avail.

She came up with a really cool one this year. The cutest part was this cup attached to these straws, bound by duct tape, all the way to her room and the other cup on her pillow. That way, when the top lid slammed shut and caught him, she would hear it next to her ear on her pillow. How cute and clever is that? She did the usual lure with pennies and this time shiny tin foil, which she was sure would help as well. She also left a note for the leprechaun to fill out.

Well, the leprechaun didn't come in the night. After all, she didn't go to bed until 10 and I told her that leprechauns surely are just little people and PEOPLE sleep at night, unlike Santa and fairies and such. So, no big disappointment in the morning when the trap was still set.

However, nothing happened during the day either. I told her I was home all day with Kate sleeping and stuff so he was probably scared to try to get the money, because I was here. A little disappointment at that.

Finally, at 6p.m., we went to the high school choir concert. When we came back, the lid was snapped! She seriously freaked out. There was green glittery stuff leading away from the trap with dropped coins all over the house. It looked like he was trying to get out windows that wouldn't open until he finally found one that did. He left candy in her boot and DID fill out her note!! That honestly surprised me.

Lauren said that she and Truman Welch were outside in front of our house during that time and even came in once to grab something, but didn't see anything. They were surprised about the note too. He was obviously a boy as you can tell by the handwriting and the name. Here it is..

I love that the leprechaun is a Saint. He must have done a lot of good in between trying to steal gold.

The good news is that Syd won the green contest for her class again, for the 2nd year. She takes it pretty seriously. Love the tinkerbell shoes she found in the dress ups.

Honestly, I'm pretty glad all of that nonsense is over. I wish the leprechauns would just leave our house alone.

And since when are choir concerts so sad? Concerts where both of your kids are singing together....for the last time in this school and before one graduates....with great kids who we'll never be with again....Why was I crying? Why do they sing words like "I will carry your heart when I'm gone, or Remember me when I go?" ugh help me.